St. Margaret Regional School is a Pre-K to 8th grade regional Catholic educational institution in our 51st year of operation. At St. Margaret’s, Catholic values are a top priority. We offer a secure and disciplined learning environment. We strive for total education, which includes growth in religious awareness and appreciation of morals and values, for each of our over 500 students.
Mission Statement
Inspired by the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Saint Margaret Regional School provides a challenging curriculum complemented by Catholic traditions, engaging activities, and competitive athletic programs that nurture a child’s spiritual, intellectual, and physical development. As a Catholic environment, enriched by prayer and the tradition of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Infant Jesus, the school creates a foundation for children in pre-school through eighth grade to realize their potential as children of God.
History
St. Margaret Regional School has been providing quality education since 1963. The school was established by Reverend William McKeever, pastor of St. Margaret Parish, Franciscan Sr. M. Isabel Piunti, and parishioners. The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Infant Jesus, along with beloved faculty and staff, have maintained an environment which promotes learning and encourages the formation of Catholic Christian values and identity. St. Margaret Regional School strives to exemplify the morals and values of both St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Francis of Assisi in the religious and academic programs and community events. Since its inception, the school has been blessed with presence of the Franciscan Sisters as members of the faculty and as principal.
The School Logo
The school logo is the symbol that speaks to the Catholic Christian identity of St. Margaret Regional School. The shield represents the heraldry associated with St. Francis of Assisi and his early desire to be a knight. The background is the Tau, a Greek letter often referred to as the Franciscan cross. In the forefront, two arms cross each other; the first one with a sleeve portrays that of St. Francis who received the Stigmata, the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion while the other represents the burning desire of St. Francis to be another Christ. The maroon color refers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to whom St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had a great devotion which she helped to spread throughout the world.
Our Patron Saints
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in France in the year 1647 and died in 1690. She was canonized a saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. Her feast day is celebrated on October 16th.
As a very young girl, Margaret Mary showed a deep affection for the Blessed Sacrament. After a difficult period in her childhood of loss and illness, Margaret was torn between serving God in the life she knew and serving God as she believed he was calling her. After having a vision of Christ, she promised the Blessed Mother that she would dedicate herself to Christ as a nun. She refused marriage and entered the Visitation convent in 1671. She experienced many visions of Christ crucified. Margaret affirmed that Christ instructed her as His chosen to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart and asked her to help establish the Feast of the Sacred Heart within the Church. Margaret initially met with opposition to her visions of Christ but eventually was able to convince her religious community of their validity. She persevered and helped to establish the Feats of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. To learn more about St. Margaret Mary Alacoque visit http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09653a.htm.
St. Francis of Assisi
Giovanni Bernardone, later named Francesco (Francis) by his father, was born in Assisi, Italy in 1182 and died October 3, 1226. He is known as the founder of the Franciscan Order.
Francis was born into a well-to-do business family as his father, Pietro, was a cloth merchant. Francis’ childhood education was minimal. He wasn’t very studious nor did he display an interest in the family business. As a youngster he enjoyed the finery his family he could afford and became popular among the nobles of Assisi.
Francis had a particular care for the poor and would give generously to those who begged around Assisi.
To be a knight and experience the glory of victory in battle was a dream of the young Francis. He joined the armed knights of Assisi as they went up against the city of Perugia but was captured and imprisoned. He suffered lingering illness as a result. He began to experience dreams and voices that guided him to reconsider the life of a soldier. Released from Perugia and returned to Assisi, Francis’ interior life began to take shape as he spent more time in seclusion and prayer. Finding the dilapidated chapel of San Damiano, kneeling before the crucifix icon hanging above the sanctuary, he prayed:
Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart
And give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, Lord that I may carry out Your holy
and true command. Amen.
Jesus spoke to Francis from the cross: Go and rebuild my church which is falling into ruin.
Francis understood that Jesus was speaking about the chapel of San Damiano and began to beg the citizens of Assisi for stones to restore the little chapel. The people of Assisi considered Francis eccentric for laying aside his finery and taking up this ridiculous task.
The test of his resolve to live an austere spiritual life came when one day as he wandered the fields around Assisi he came upon a leper. He was regularly horrified of them but, remembering how Jesus dealt with the outcasts, he approached the leper, embraced him and kissed him. This was life changing moment for him.
He renounced his inheritance and began to live the life of a mendicant preacher. Other young men of Assisi were attracted to his way of life- simplicity and service to the poor.
Francis wished to imitate Jesus as closely as possible. While in solitude and prayer on Mount La Verna, he prayed that he could experience the pain of Christ’s crucifixion. He received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, on his own flesh. His hands, feet, and side bore the bloody wounds.
Saint Francis was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1228. He is the patron saint of merchants, animals, ecology, and universities. His feast day is October 4th. To learn more about St. Francis of Assisi visit http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm .
We encourage you to continue browsing our website to learn more about or vibrant school and family. Please contact Laureen Brady at lbrady@stmargarets-rs.org with any questions or feel free to schedule a visit to see everything we have to offer.